SUF: Inner Demons
by Lightblade1121
Summary: Inspired somewhat from "Castlevania: Lord of Shadows". Steven faces one of the greatest challenges one must go through.


Inspired by something out of another video game.

* * *

Steven found in what seemed like some kind of limbo. An area that was nothing but pink, and seemed to be made entirely out of crystal. He wasn't sure where he was or what was going on, until he saw someone's silhouette near by, facing away from him. He began to walk towards them, but as he drew closer, the form of who it was came to be all too familiar to him. A woman, white a white dress and long, curly, pink hair...

Steven:"...Mom?"

Rose:"...Steven?"

Steven:"What is going on? Where am I? What is this? How are you even here?"

Rose:"I..."

Before she could speak another word, Rose seemed to look sad as turned away from her son. This left Steven concerned...

Steven:"Mom? What's wrong?"

Rose:"It's just that...I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me?"

Steven:"Why would you think that?"

Rose:"...You know of what I done."

Steven:"Huh?"

Rose:"Everything. My deception, abandoning Spinel, leaving Earth to be the center of chaos, leaving you to deal with it. How could you even face me? After all this time, and after everything I've done?"

Steven was left speechless. He had no idea how to answer those questions...

Rose:"Even what you're being put through now."

Steven:"What?"

Rose:"You know by now the destructive power that I once wielded is now surging through your veins. What I inflicted on others...is now being inflicted on you. It's not something you can fight."

Steven:"...It's something I can control though."

Rose:"Huh?"

Steven:"I'm not used to it just yet. It's no different from the first time I tried unlocking power. I'll get the hang of it. It'll just take some time."

Rose:"Hmm...Time's a luxury you can't really afford, Steven. Please, succeed where I have failed. Do this...for your family."

As she said that, she took a step back. Steven understood why, because she felt like she wasn't part of the family. But, Steven took a step forward, reminding her that she was still his mother, she was still family.

Steven:"I will...Now, back to the subject at hand. Where are we? What is this place?"

Rose:"That's...a little complicated."

Steven:"What do you mean?"

Rose:"...Check under your shirt."

Confused by this, Steven did just that and was shocked by what he saw. His gem...it wasn't there...

Steven:"What the-?! What happened to my gem?! How am I not dying right now?!"

Rose:"Steven...your gem is still where it's always been...But you aren't where you need to be."

Steven:"I-I don't understand."

Rose:"This is the inside of your gem. Everything that you are, Steven, exist from within here."

Bewildered, Steven looked around and saw merely saw that the inside of his own gem was void of anything. He was expecting a whole lot more...

Steven:"So...what does that make you then?"

Rose:"A faded memory. What little of me is left to exist has come to stay here, lock away in your gem."

Steven:"Kinda having mixed emotions about that."

Rose:"There is a fight happening, Steven. It is your nature? Your 'true' nature, so to speak, fights within you."

Steven:"My...'true' nature?"

Rose:"So long as it fights, will you continue to lose control of your powers."

Steven:"How do I stop it?"

Rose:"You must take control of your nature. This fight is your, Steven. You must win."

It was then that the area began to shake and Steven saw everything grow dark. Breaking through the crystal ground, something huge had risen up in front of both Steven and Rose. It looked to have been a giant rose flower, but it was monsterous with menacing thorns and spiny petals. It then bended over to Rose opening up and suddenly swallowing Steven's mother up. It then turned to Steven himself, opening up once more, but only to reveal what was inside. Steven was frightened to see the clear image of himself, attached to the Rose, looking like a monster, having dark eyes with glowing pink pupils, and it looked angrily at the Steven...

?:"(monstrous voice) .I thought I had gotten rid of that woman ages ago!"

Steven:"W-Who..? What are you?"

?:"Can't recognize your own image? I am the energy coursing through your veins. I am what you feel inside, your anger, your frustration. I am the power! Your spirit, your true conscience! I am...your destiny!"

Steven:"What have you done with my mother?"

?:"She doesn't belong here! Only you do!"

With that the manifestation of Steven headed back inside the rose as it began to swing around and slam into Steven, sending him flying back and struggling to recover. Steven tried to bring back up his shield, but it didn't seem to be working. In fact none of his powers seemed to be working...

?:"No gem, no powers. They all belong to me."

Steven:"...I won't need them to fight you."

?:"You cannot deny me! I am part of you!"

The rose came charging towards Steven, who quickly dodged out of the way, but it wasn't fast enough, as the thorns end up cutting him...

?:"I will strip you of your soul!"

Steven:"My soul's staying where it belongs!"

Not thinking fast enough, Steven ends up getting slammed by the giant rose, as it opens once more, seeing the other Steven grab the original by the collar of his shirt and lift him up from the ground...

?:"You will...accept my EXISTENCE!"

Looking at his doppelganger, he noticed that he had something of his, his gem...

Steven:"...Y-You have something that belongs to me."

?:"(looks down at the gem and then back at Steven) This is mine!"

Steven:"...Then I'll take it."

Acting quickly, Steven grabbed his gem and tried to pull it out of his copy. But it was stuck tight as he pulled as hard he could, all he got was a sudden glow and surge of power coursing through him. With that, the doppelganger threw Steven away from him as he began to recover. Looking at his hand, Steven saw the glow dimming down and energy running through him as he hoped it gave him something useful. Focusing this power, Steven had brought his shield and now wielded it against his copy.

?:"A simple shield is not gonna save you! You cannot hope to win!"

Steven:"You don't sound very certain."

?:"Don't try to act cool! I'm not through with you just yet."

Steven:"Neither am I!"

Getting angrier, the other Steven went back inside the rose and continued to attack. With his shield back in proper place, Steven used it to defend himself against the monster's attacks. Despite the strength that it showed, Steven pushed it back and headed straight for it...

?:"I will remove your will, piece by piece if I have to!"

Steven:"You're gonna have to beat me first!"

?:"I've had enough of your ignorance!"

Going in for another attack, Steven acted quickly and hopped onto his shield like a board, sliding across the spiny stem of the rose. Behind it's head, Steven threw his shield at the stem, giving a direct hit, seeming to cut through it's crust. The monster screeched in pain by this...

?:"You cannot fight back against me! I am your better half!"

Steven:"I've yet to see that!"

?:"Then take a better look!"

Once again, Steven's doppelganger charged at him as the rose opened once more to reveal the enraged manifestation. But instead of knocking Steven off his feet, the boy was actually pushing back with his shield and managed to get the monster to back off, leaving it off guard...

?:"What?!"

Steven:"My turn."

With warning, Steven reached for the gem, beginning to pull at once more and getting that same pink aura as before. But his other would not allow it, for it got him off and backed away as Steven regained another one of his powers, able to form giant bubbles around him at will...

Steven:"Alright, almost there!"

?:"ARGH, ENOUGH OF THIS!"

The doppelganger began to do something Steven didn't expect, ripping itself from the giant rose and letting it crawl back into the crater it came from. As it stood on its own fight, Steven took not that he copy had trendals on its back from the rose, and they were moving. It then turned to Steven, using it's own powers, it summoned it's own shield, similar to Steven, but with a more menacing feature. Around the edges of the shield, it had saw blades, sharp enough to cut through anything it seemed, but that was not it. Summoning another weapon, it brought a long sword, similar to that of Steven's mother, banging it on his shield and then pointing the blade towards Steven...

?:"Now the real fight begins!"

With that said, the two Stevens charge at each other, their shields clashing together as they try to push each other...

?:'In the end, we will be as one!"

Steven:"I don't believe that! If I lose here, there won't even be a 'we'! There will just be you!"

?:"Without me, you'd be nothing!"

Steven:"And without me, you'd be lost!"

Enraged, the other Steven got the original to back off as it channelled it's power and began to slash it's sword. Steven blocked as many as he could, but knew he couldn't stand in the same place for to long as he made a break for it. But he found himself unmatched by his double's speed. The blade of his doppelganger clashed hard onto shield time and time again, and Steven was almost beginning to grow tired, not sure how much longer he can hold his own...

?:"You. Are. MINE."

Steven:"I think it's the other way around!"

Backing him off, Steven took the edge of his shield and slams across his double's face, making him lose grip of his sword. Acting fast, Steven jumps and takes the sword in his hand, beginning to slice without relent at his other. He fight back desperately, but it was in vain as Steven landed a blow upon his chest went for the gem one last time. But his copy wouldn't allow it, grabbing hold of Steven's arm as he grabbed the gem...

?:"We're one of the same!"

Steven said nothing as thrusted the sword further into his copy's chest and continued to pull out the gem...

?:"STEVEN!"

Steven:"(pulls out gem)...Thank you."

Ripping the gem from his doppelganger, Steven sliced away at his chest, having him scream in pain and fall down. Steven gazed at the glowing gem at rested in his hand and then back at his dying imposter, who's body seemed to be turning into rose peddles that begin to blow away. As Steven points the sword to him...he laughs...

?:"You can't destroy me, Steven. I am part of you! That gem in your hand proved that enough. I...am your heart and soul...just as you are hers. I will be with you always..."

Steven dropped the sword and looked back the gem and then at his doppelganger one last time, before his body disintegrates into nothing...

?:"(echoing)...Always..."

As the imposter disappeared, everything returned back to normal, and Steven saw before him, his mother, Rose, on the ground, unconscious. Without a second though, Steven runs to her...

Steven:"Mom!"

Rose:"(regaining consciousness)...Steven?"

Steven:"It's over...I've won...at least for now."

Rose:"(slowly smiles)...Time to go home."

Suddenly, in a flash of light, Steven found himself in his own bed, seeing that it was barely even morning as the sun could barely be seen over the horizon. Looking down, he saw that his gem was in its rightful place. He wiped his forehead, seeing only a little sweat that was dripping down and gave out a sigh...

Steven:"That...was crazy...Like something out of a dream."


End file.
